Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com recently named Mets 1B prospect Dominic Smith the second-best first baseman in the minor leagues.

Smith was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2013 draft.

“He looks like the total package at first base, combining solid athleticism and defense with a sweet left-handed swing,” Mayo said of the 18 year old.

In 2013, he began slowly, hitting .182/.270/.291 in his first 16 games. However, he hit .399/.437/.464 with nine extra-base hits and 17 walks in his next 135 plate appearances.

Toby Hyde, Contributor

He is without a doubt one of the team’s top position player prospects. Despite the fact that Smith was one of the youngest hitters in the draft, the Mets assigned him to Savannah this year, treating him more aggressively than their previous two first round picks from high school: Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini.

Smith, who will not turn 19 until June 15, spent most of his winter working out in Michigan and St. Lucie to prepare for his full-season debut in 2014. Scouts use words like “pretty,” “smooth,” and “sweet,” to describe his left-handed swing. Gnats manager Luis Rojas has praised Smith’s maturity.

Smith will be playing his home games in Historic Grayson Stadium, which is extremely hostile to left-handed power, so his maturity will be tested on nearly daily basis.

Here is a recent SNY.TV Prospect File on Smith, featuring video of him in action during Spring Training:

Welcome to "Let's ruin Dom Smith 101". in this class we study how to endlessly cover a young player who's done little but get drafted and inflate his sense of entitlement, all the while building expectations so large that no mortal will be able to fill them.

This Davis/Duda platoon has disaster written all over it. I cannot imagine a scenario where either one of them is able to put together even an average major-league season. Davis should have been dumped for whatever another team would offer over the offseason. The fact that he now has a guaranteed $3.5m for this year, no matter what he does, is just silly. If the Mets really were intent on filling first base with an in-house option, they should have simply given the job to Duda. He offers not much more thann Davis; but at least he's much less expensive.

Having both Davis and Duda simultaneously occupying slots on the active roster is untenable on a 25-man roster. It's blocking Wilmer Flores, who is already a better hitter than either Davis or Duda and who has the ability to play more positions.

The real solution would have been to sign Corey Hart to play first. He would have been very reasonable and light years ahead of Davis or Duda. Seattle absolutely stole him on a 1-year/6m deal. Looks like he's going to have a very productive year. Why don't the Mets make deals like this?

@MetsOregon As much as I agree with what you said about getting Hart, i do disagree on why don't the mets make deals like this. They made one recently with RA Dickey and turned that into Thor and TDA. They may have gotten a steal in Colon who they can turn and trade to a contender when Thor comes up and is succeeding.